Rod Thorn Stepping Down

Rod Thorn will step down as president of the New Jersey Nets on July 15, according to league sources.

Thorn, the Nets president since 2000, is under contract through June 30 but will remain for two weeks to help the club through the first two weeks of the free-agency period.

Thorn is not being forced out by the Nets' new owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, and there is no tension between the two, according to sources.

"They've given Rod everything he could want," a league executive said. "This is entirely his decision."

There's got to be more to this. Apparently it was completely unexpected and that the Nets don't have a successor in place. I wonder whether Prokhorov was trying to meddle more than Thorn liked? Maybe we'll see a Russian Mark Cuban start making all kinds of big crazy trades. Colangelo better get on the horn right now and see what he'll give up.

Jerry West continued...

A source with knowledge of the Nets’ thinking, meanwhile, told ESPN.com that the team also intends to sound out retired legend Jerry West to see if he has any interest in a front-office comeback, with Thorn – West’s fellow West Virginian – apparently pledging to help Prokhorov find his replacement.